7 top tips for nailing Mozart recitatives by Marcio da Silva.

Recitative can often be a stumbling block for singers. Here are Marcio da Silva's top 7 tips to help you!

1.    Learn the text first and find out the inflection points of the text.

Singers tend to  put too many inflection points in one phrase. For latin language speakers, speak the same text naturally in your own language and see how many points you put instinctively. For everyone else listen to many versions of the same recit preferably by native speakers and look for the topography of the phrases.

2.    The inflection points should be shown through LENGTH, don't add artificial accents to the text.

It usually has more to do with lightening everything else and using direction rather than adding weight to where the inflection points are. 

3.    A down beat doesn't necessarily mean that it is a strong syllable.

There are no beats in Mozart recits. The rhythm is literally just an adaptation of the spoken rhythm in order for it to fit 4/4 bars. The priority is to follow the spoken rhythm and not the written one.

4.    Written rests don't mean much.

They are used so that a soft/short syllable isn't written with a longer note avoiding confusion. Don't breathe because you see a rest. Follow the text.

5.    Know what you are saying word by word.

Try to find several different ways of saying the same thing. 

6.    Pronounce ALL your "R"s however don't roll the ones between vowels in a word.

A common mistake is to either not pronounce or under pronounce ending "R"s. Really role every starting "R", ending "R", double "R"s and "R"s before consonants. 

7.    Latin languages' harder consonants (t,s,g,p,d) shouldn't be pronounced as hard as in English or German.

When you see a double consonant in Italian generally that means a longer consonant, not a harder one.  The "sung consonants" (n,m,v,r) should always be sung through and shouldn't stop the voice. 

Don Giovanni (W.A.Mozart) - May 25th to June 4th at St Mary in the Castle (Hastings)

Hippolyte et Aricie (J-P. Rameau) - June 24th to July 2nd at Woodhouse Copse (Holmbury St Mary)